Gunmen fire at tourist bus near Delhi mosque

Attackers on a motorcycle opened fire with a sub-machine gun on a tourist bus
outside the biggest mosque in New Delhi on Sunday, prompting fears weeks
before the Commonwealth Games.

Security personnel on high alert at Jama Masjid Mosque in New Delhi fater the shootingPhoto: EPA

By Rahul Bedi in New Delhi

12:40AM BST 20 Sep 2010

A security Red Alert over the Games was issued in India on Sunday after the gunmen ambushed the bus, injuring two Taiwanese.

Indian police said the shooters, wearing helmets and raincoats astride a motorcycle, first fired their gun at Jama Masjid mosque, a popular tourist attraction, and then at a minibus parked nearby from which passengers were alighting.

The two male Taiwanese, who are in their 20s, have been admitted to a local hospital, where doctors said they were out of danger, officials said.

Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit has appealed for calm, asserting that it had not yet been confirmed that the attackers were terrorists.

Security during the Games for some 8000 athletes and delegates from 71 countries - who begin arriving in Delhi this week - remains a major concern.

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Security measures inclued the closure of all educational institutions, including schools for the duration of the Games. All shops, offices and business establishment to shut down during the Games' opening and closing ceremonies.

Crowded market places are also being asked to shorten their working hours in an effort to prevent mishaps like bombings which have frequently hit Delhi in recent years killing hundreds of people.